Renaming of lakes will honour Indigenous women massacred at site
A group of lakes located near Unity are being renamed to honour the Cree women who lost their lives at the site in a 19th-century massacre.
The province formally approved changing the previously offensive name Killsquaw Lake to Kikiskitotawânawak Iskwêwak Sâkahikan Lakes, a Cree name which translates to “We Remember the Women.”
Kellie Wuttunee, a lawyer from Red Pheasant First Nation, has worked towards the renaming for the past year.
“We must recognize that to properly respect and honour Indigenous women, we can no longer have denigrating geographical names in Saskatchewan or Canada,” Wuttunee said at a formal ceremony in North Battleford Tuesday to recognize the occasion. “Even if unintentional, the previous name was harmful, and undermined the pride and self-esteem of Indigenous people.”